Apparatus for delivering and grouping hair fasteners



Dec. 9, 1947. F. D. REY NOLDS 2,432,339

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND GRQUPING HAIR FASTENERS I Filed April 24, .1944 6 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9, 1947. REYNOLDS 2,432,339

APPARATUS. FOR DELIVERING AND GRbUPING HAIR FASTENERSv Filed April 24, 1944 e Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 9, 1947. REYNOLDS 2,432,339-

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND GROUPING HAIR FASTENERS Filed April 24, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 'E"a7z/Yf Z fgrzo 20/5 55 ay. @14

Dec. 9,1947. REYNOLDS 2,432,339

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND GROUPING HAIR FASTENERS Filed April 24, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 9, 1947. F. o; REYNOLDS APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND GROUPING HAIR FASTENERS Filed April 24, 1944 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Finn/i" -D. $231220 Ids 5- 41 F. D; REYNOLDS APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND GROUPING HAIR FASTENERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 24.. 1944 Patented Dec. 9, 1947 APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND GROUP- ING HAIR FASTENERS Frank D. Reynolds, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Gaylord Products, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 24, 1944, Serial No. 532,426

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of hairpins or hair gripping fasteners, and particularly to improved means in combination with a hair fastener forming machine for serially receivin and supporting the fasteners as formed in a guided and uniformly oriented manner and for thereafter delivering the fasteners in groups of predetermined number, to thereby facilitate subsequent handling and treatment of the fasteners such as for coating or other treatment.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in combination with machines for producing hair gripping fasteners of the snap type such as for example the apparatus and fastener generally shown and described in the Goldberg and Hermsdorf United States Patent No. 1,709,- 938 wherein a continuous strip of advancing wire is acted on, lengths thereof are provided with desirable flattened and crimped portions, the lengths severed and thereafter substantially medially bent on a horizontally reciprocating anvil to provide a pair of opposed legs which are brought together into meeting or substantially meeting engagement, the legs being connected by an integral open loop or eye-like bend.

In the prior practice the formed hairpins were successively ejected after formation and permitted to fall into a receptacle in heterogeneous arrangement, and batches of the formed hairpins tempered in gross. These hair fasteners conventionally require varnishing, japanning or the like coating, the process of coating including the dip ping of the fasteners in a bath of coating composition and thereafter passing them through a drying oven to bake the coating. In order to carry out the operations of coating and drying it was heretofore necessary to manually pick up, orient and position the pins on an oven wire in a predetermined number, all of which entailed considerable labor and dexterity.

In accordance with my present invention I provide means, for use in combination with a hairpin or fastener manufacturing machine of the class described, which successively receives the fasteners as formed instead of permitting them to drop into a mass of pins of heterogeneous arrangement, and which permits the collected pins to pass by gravity in a supported and uniformly oriented manner. I further provide in combination with such orderly receiving means, escapement means for causing the fasteners to be delivered in groups of predetermined number onto a collecting or oven wire, this oven wire permitting the fasteners to be conveniently han- 2 died thereon and in the succeeding operational steps of tempering, dipping, and baking in a. more expeditious manner and with great economy, particularly by reason of elimination of the prior requirement of manually picking up the fasteners from a heterogeneous mass and orienting and counting them,

Other objects and advantages of my invention relate to details of construction and arrangement of parts and the advantages and economies thereof which will be apparent from a consideration Of the following specification and drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a machine for the production of hair gripping fasteners illustrating the formation and delivery end of the machine and the association therewith of my novel receiving and group delivery or escapement means.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the escapement means fllustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line I--! of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the receiving wire having associated therewith the form of collecting Wire illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail partly in section illustrating the association of the adjacent ends of the two wires of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of the receiving wire having endwise associated therewith an oven or collecting wire of another form.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail partly in section showing the association of the adjacent ends of the receiving and collecting wires of Fig. 10.

. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the fastener forming machine illustratingthe association of the upper end of the inclined receiving wire with fixed support means therefor immediately adjacent and below the horizontally reciprocating anvil.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to that of Fig. 12 illustrating the successive movement of the forming jaws on a length of wire, and the medial bending thereof about the anvil to provide a pair of 0D- posed legs connected by means of an integral bend, the bend embracing the upper end of the receiving wire.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section on the line Iii-44 of Fig, 12.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to that of Fig. 14

3 illustrating successive horizontal movement of the anvil.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of a collecting or oven wire such as that shown in Fig. 10 illustrating spacing of the fasteners on the wire after being positioned thereon Fig. 17 is a.- fragmentary detail. of the, oven wire illustrated in Fig. 16 with the fasteners spaced thereon, further illustrating diagrammatically the positioning of the pins thereon in tensioned engagement suitable for; further proc-...

essing of the fasteners.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the oven wire of Figs. 16 and 17.,

Fig. 19 is a transverse section of the oven wire of Fig. 16 showing a fastener loosely supported thereon at the connecting bend: thereof;

Fig. 20 is a similar section of the oven Wire illustrating the tensionedengagement of the pin on the. oven wire at one of the crimps thereof, similar to the dotted'positionof Fig; 1'7.

Fig. 21 is a side elevation with parts in sectionof another form of collecting means associatedwith the lower end of the receiving; wire.

Fig. 227 is an; enlarged fragmentary detail, partly in section of the collecting means of Fig. 21 further illustrating the telescopically engaging collecting wire; thereof.

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary plan view-- onthe line 2 3.23' ofFi'g. 22"..

Fig; 24.15 a, section on the line 2-49-24 ofFig; 22;

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Fig. 1, the reference numeral generally designates an end portion of a machine for'operating on a continuously advancing length of wire- H' toautomatically produce hair-gripping fasteners ofthe snap type such as that generally describedand shown in the aforementioned Patent No. 1,709,938. The length of wire is introduced through the guide. ['2' and passes: between the forming rolls I13 and M; where a portion of the advancing length cfwire is suitably provided with flattened and/or crimped portions and thereafter advanced to pass between the wire cutting mechanism 15, and between the forming jaws l6 and the horizontally reciprocable anvil I'Lthe movement of the wire, the action of the forming rolls l3, and M), and the action of the wire cutting means I and, theforming, laws It and anvil I! being correlated through suitable driving, and cam means, not shown, whereby after a predetermined length of formed wire is horizontally moved between the forming jaws l6; and theanvil l 'L the; cutting means It on the beginning of the downstroke of the formingjaws severs the. advancing wire a predetermined length, and the forming laws as they continue to move. downward deform, the out length of wire substantially medially to form a pair of opposed legs connected with an integral bend, the, form ing jgaws I16; bringing the opposed legs of" the severed; wire length {8 into substantially meeting engagement, beneath the anvil ll so as to form a hairpin of the fastener or gripping type, generally designated as l9, as. more clearly illustrated in the detailed; views of Figs. 1-2 and 13.

Anvil I], as previously 'mSfiQated', is adapted to reciprocate horizontally, and is. projected into the path of the fastener formation upon downward; movement of the forming jaws to and in timed relationship, and conversely upon upward movement of the jaws 15, the anvill'l is re tracted so as to cause the formed fastener to drop or be brushed off. In accordance withpri'or practice and apparatus, the fasteners after being 4 brushed off were dropped into a receptacle in heterogeneous formation and therein tempered in gross to impart to the fasteners the desired snap or tension quality. Such formed and tempered fasteners conventionally require further coating, such as varnishing or japanning. In order to conduct the coating operation and to subsequently dry or bake the coating on the fasteners, it was required to manually pick up individual fasteners and count and string them on an oven wire in groups of predetermined numbers such as, 50 or 100 fasteners, so as to fac litate the clipping operation and the subsequent oven; drying or baking operation.

In, accordanpe, with the present invention, the necessity for manually picking up the individual fasteners. from a heterogeneous mass and alignthe oven wire is substantially eliminated. This is accomplished by providing means in combination with a fastener forming machine of the class hereinbeforedescribed which is adapted to receive the pins serially as formed to slidably support them in uniform manner so that they are delivered from the forming machine in an orderly and continuous manner. In addition, I provide in combination with such orderly re-. ceiving means, means for segregating the fas-. teners into groups of predetermined number and for permitting their collection on oven. or sub.-. sequent treatment wire in such orderly groups.

This I accomplish by providing a fixed pin head 20- formed with an aperture through which the anvil ll reciprocates, and immediately belowthe anvil; I1 and closely adjacent thereto, I secure the upper end of a downwardly inclined catcher; wire orreceiving rail 2 l, the upper end portion of the rail; being bent substantially parallel tov anvil fl and secured in the fixed head 20 as at. 22', so that the main inclined portion of the receiving rail M is slightly spaced from the forward face. of the support 20. Thus, as will best be seen in Figs. 12 to 15, when the length of wire I8 is. deformed so as to medially bend it and to cause the legs to bend downward and extended vertically, the downward movement of the legs of the deformed length of wire not only embraces the anvil H, but additionally embraces the upper end portion of the receiving rail 2|. Upon successive retraction of the anvil ll, the formed fastener is brushed off the anvil by retraction thereof through the head 28, but instead of being merely dropped as formerly, the fastener is caught byand moves down in a guided path by gravity on the receiving rail 2 l The lower end portion of the receiving rail 21 is engaged by an escapement mechanism, gen-. erallydesignated as 23, comprising three stops which are opened in turn to permit a group or unit of, for example, 50 pins or fasteners to move three stations in succession in such a manner, and so timed as to never leave the receiving rail 2! unsupported by the escapement mechanism. The escapement mechanism includes a stop arm or trigger 2 adapted to intermittently seat on receiving rail 2! to temporarily arrest further downward movement of fasteners thereon after passage of a predetermined number, and a pair of clamping jaws 25 and 25 adapted to alternately engage and support spaced lower end portions of the receiving rail and to alternately open and permit by-pass of the fasteners in groups of said predetermined number, and to deliver therefrom the fasteners in such groups onto an endwise engaged and aligned collector, such as the rail 21.

These three stops, or the stop arm and pair of clamping jaws, are successively actuated by cam means including a continuously rotating cam shaft in timed relationship to the fastener formation cycle of the forming machine.

The escapement mechanism 23 is generally supported on a standard 28 endwise of the form.- ing machine it on the bed 29 thereof. The standard 28 is provided with a pair of arms 30 and 3| which support the cam shaft 32 above and parallel to the inclined receiving rail 2|, the

cam shaft 32 being driven through gears 33 and 34, shaft 35, gears 35 and 31, shafts 38, gears 39 and 40, and the'machine drive shaft 4|, Thus the cam shaft 32 is driven through the machine drive shaft 4|, and by suitable arrangement of the intervening gears the two are driven in timed relationship although in the present illustration, the cam shaft 32 is caused to make one revolution for every 100 pin or fastener forming cycles of the machines.

Supported on the cam shaft 32 are the three cams 42, 43 and 44, each having a pair of diametrically c-pposed cam lobes. the lobes of each cam being angularly spaced with respect to each other, the cams being adapted for actuation of the trigger 24 and the clamping jaws 25 and 26 respectively, in sequential relationship to each other.

The stop or trigger arm 24 comprises a portion which extends substantially perpendicular to the receiving rail 23 and is connected through the angular arm portion 45 to the cam follower lever 46, the lever 46 being pivotally supported on the arm 4! extending from the standard 28, the upwardly extending or cam follower terminal 46 of lever 46 being normally urged upwardly against the cam 42 by means of the spring 48, so that the stop arm 42 is normally held pressed against receiving rail 2| and twice in each revolution of cam shaft 32, the terminal 46 of lever 46 is depressed downwardly by the cam lobes and the stop arm 24 elevated and spaced from receiving rail 2| to permit by-pass of fasteners.

The clamping jaws 25 are pivotally engaged as at 48 between the arms 49 extending from standard 28, and include the upper arm portions 25' which embrace the cam 43, the upper arm portions 25' being normally drawn together by means of the spring 50 so as to hold the clamping jaws 25 normally spread apart and spaced out of supporting engagement with the receiving rail 2|, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The inner faces of the upper arms 25 are each provided with a cam follower 5| against which the lobes of cam 43 bear twice in each revolution of the cam shaft 32 to urge the clamping jaws 25 together to support the receiving rail 2|. During such supporting engagement the jaws provide a stop for passage of pins or fasteners and, conversely, when the jaws 25 are spaced, the fasteners are permitted to by-Dass. In a similar manner as illustratedin Fig. 3, the clamping jaws 25 are provided with upper arm portions 25 which embrace the cam 44 and are urged together by means of the spring 52, the inner face of the arms 26' being provided with cam followers '53 against which the lobes of cam 44 act twice in each revolution of cam shaft 32 to bring the jaws 26 into supporting engagement with the rail 2| and to stop passage of fasteners H), the jaws being pivoted as at 54 between arms 55 extending from standard 28.

As previously indicated, and for illustrative purposes, cam shaft 32 is driven, or geared to be driven through drive shaft 4|, so that it makes one revolution for each 100 fastener forming cycles, and since each of the three cams 42, 43 and 44 are rovided with a pair of diametrically opposed lobes of equal arc, the stop arm 24 and the clamping jaws 25 and 26 will each be actuated to open and close twice for each revolution of cam shaft 32, or once for every 50 pin cycles. By forming each of the lobes on each of the cams with an arcuate surface of extent, stop arm 24, which descends once each 50 pin cycles, remains in downwardly pressed ngagement against receiving rail 2| for that is, stop arm 24 by means of pressing against receiving rail 2| will arrest downward movement of about 30 pins during which time clamping jaws 25 are open and jaws 26 closed. Upon the closing of jaws 25 into embracing and supporting engagement with receiving rail 2|, stop arm 24 is elevated to permit the 30 pins accumulated in front of it while it was depressed, together with 20 additional pins, to by-pass it and the total of 50 pins to become lodged against the closed jaws 25. At such time the cam 42 causes stop arm 24 to descend again and remain closed while cam 43 causes jaws 25 to separate and to permit the group of 50 pins to by-pass and become lodged against closed jaws 26. After passage of the 50 pins between open jaws 25 the jaws 25 close and the jaws 26 open permitting the group of 50 pins to be delivered onto the collecting rail 21.

Collecting rail 2! may be left in position to receive one or any multiple of pin groups and may be manually replaced during a 20 pin cycle during which jaws 2B are closed in pin stopping and supporting relationship with rail 2|. It will, of course, be apparent that by variation of the number of cam lobes, the degree of camming caused thereby, or the timing relationship of the cam shaft 32 to the pin forming cycle, the escapement mechanism may be caused to select and successively by-pass and deliver a greater or smaller number of pins per group.

The lower terminal end of receiving rail 2| K may be formed with a recess 56 to receive and engage the tapered end or point 51 of collector rail 21 so as to join the two rails in a smooth continuous path and permit delivery of the pins fromreceiving rail 2| to collector rail 21 when the escapementjaws 26 are in open position. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, the collector rail 21 may be intermediately supported between the clamping plates 58 and 59 which are held urged together between springs 60 and GI, the plate 58 being yieldable and engaged at its lower end as at 62 to the plate 59. When it is desired to release the collector wire 21 from clamped position, the lever 64, which may be engaged to a foot pedal, not illustrated, is depressed causing rotation of the crank lever 65 about its pivot 66, and to thereby project its shoulder 51' through aperture 63 in plate 59. This urges the plate 58 outwardly so that the collector rail 21 may be withdrawn with one or more collected groups of pins thereon after which a new collector rod may be inserted in its place during the period that the clamping jaws 26 are in closed position.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate another form of collector rail or oven wire 68 substantially U- shaped, the terminal ends projecting laterally, this form of oven wire being conventionally employed for use in combination with a chain con- .veyor system which carries the pins through a coating bath and through a baking oven. This oven wire 68 is provided with tapered or pointed ends 6.9, one of which engages with and seats in the socket 55 of receiving rail 2| and the other may be similarly engaged for support in a standard l0, sov as to support the oven wire during its;

collection of pin groups from receiving rail 2|. The. collector rail 21 may be suitably provided with spaced notches H, and in like manner the oven wire 68 is provided with spaced notches 12, as illustrated in Figs. 16 to 18, these respective notches being provided for facilitating of further handling of the collected pins.

'Thus as illustrated in Fig. 16, by hearing a suitable rod 13 against the outer surface of the bends of the pins, or manually, the pins may be spread and one spaced in each. notch, after which, as. illustrated in Figs. 17 and 19, the pins in their spaced; position are moved relative to the wire 68 so as to spread the legs of the pins and to cause; the wire 68 to be lodged and gripped between the legs of the pins in one of the crimps thereof. When so positioned the oven or collector Wire with the pins H3 in spread and clamped position, may be passed through a suitable annealing oven to impart proper snap or tension quality to thepins, and while still being retained on the'same wire, the oven wires may be passed on: suitable conveyors through a bath of coating and then to a drying or baking oven to deliver the pins in finished condition, ready for carding or packing in the same groups of predetermined number collected onthe oven wires or collecting rails as predetermined by the escapement mechanism 23.

Figs. 21 to 24 illustrate another modified form of, collector rail comprising a hollow tube M, one end 75 of which is tapered to leave an opening sufiic-ient to telescopically receive the lower end of collector rail 21 therein, and to provide a smooth continuous path for the downward passing pins 59. The lower end of tube TA may be fixedly engaged and supported by a standard lfi, which of necessity is required to be relatively narrow and employable when the opposed legs E9 of the pins are spaced and not in meeting engagement at any point. The tube 14 telescopically receives through its open lower end the notched rail 71.

Positioned adjacent the lower end of tube l4 and thereabove is the hooked lever 18 pivoted at 7'9 and retained for limited movement between the abutments 8i! and 8| which limit the pivotal movement of the lever 18. The hook of lever 78 overhangs the lower end of tube 14 and is adjusted so that upon outward withdrawal of the notched bar 1! from the tube 14, the hook l8 temporarily arrests movement of the pins 19 on tube T l but permits them to successively drop onto bar I? and into the notches 82 thereof so that upon withdrawal of the rail 11 from the tube "it, the pins I9 are caused to be spaced longitudinally in the notches 82 to facilitate further handilng for the subsequent treatment steps,

as previously described with respect to the other forms of collector rails or oven wires.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for acting on a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths thereof and substantially medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and being adapted to discharge a formed fastener upon retraction within said support, means: secured to said anvil support and positioned to extend within the bend of a formed fastener for serially receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed in a. guided uniforml oriented manner.

2. In a machine for acting on a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths thereof and substantiall medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and being adapted to discharge a formed fastener upon retraction within said support, means for serially receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed thereby in a guided uniformly oriented manner, said means comprising an inclined receiving rail, the upper end thereof being fixedly supported in said mounting support adjacent said anvil and positioned thereat to extend within the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon. formation thereof.

3. In a machine for acting on a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths thereof and substantially medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and being adapted to discharge a formed fastener upon retraction within said support, means for serially receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed thereby in a guided uniformly oriented manner, said means comprising an inclined receiving rail, the upper end thereof being fixedly engaged to said anvil support immediately below and closely adjacent said anvil and positioned thereat to extend within the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon formation thereof, and means for releasing and delivering the fasteners from said receiving rail in groups of predetermined number.

4;. In a machine'for acting on a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths thereof and substantially medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and being adapted to discharge a formed fastener upon retraction within said support, means for seriall receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed thereby in a guided uniformly oriented manner, said means comprising an inclined receiving rail, the upper end thereof being fixedly engaged to said anvil support immediately below and closely adjacent said anvil and positioned thereat to extend within the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon formation thereof to thereby retain it upon being dropped by retraction of the anvil, and escapement means in supporting engagement with a lower end portion of said receiving rail for intermittently arresting downward movement of fasteners thereon and for segregating and permitting their successive delivery therefrom in groups of predetermined number.

5. In a machine for acting on a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths thereof and substantially medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting fastener upon retraction within said support, means for serially receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed thereby in a guided uniformly oriented manner, said means comprising an inclined receiving rail, the upper end thereof being fixedly engaged to said anvil support immediately below and closel adjacent said anvil and positioned thereat to extend within the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon formation thereof to thereby retain it upon being droppedby' retraction of the anvil, escapement means in supporting engagement with a lower end portion of said receiving rail for intermittently arresting downward movement of fasteners thereon and for segregating and permitting their successive delivery therefrom in roups of predetermined number, and a separable collecting rail in aligned endwise engagement with and supported thereat by said receiving rail for collecting groups of fasteners delivered therefrom.

6. In a machine for acting on a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths thereof and substantially medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and being adapted to discharge a formed fastener upon retraction within said support, means for serially receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed thereby in a guided uniformly oriented manner, said means comprising an inclined receiving rail, the upper end thereof being fixedly engaged to said anvil support immediately below and closely adjacent said anvil and positioned thereat to extend within the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon formation thereof, and escapement means for segregating the fasteners on the receiving rail in groups of predetermined number and for permitting delivery therefrom to an endwise connected separable collecting rail in said group formation, said escapement means comprising a stop arm adapted to intermittently seat on said receiving rail to temporarily arrest further downward movement of fasteners thereon after passage of a predetermined number and spaced sets of clamping jaws adapted to alternatel engage and support spaced lower end portions of the receiving rail and to alternately open and permit by-pass of the fasteners in said groups.

7. In a machine for acting'cn a continuous strip of advancing wire and for severing lengths there of and substantially medially bending the severed lengths over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and being adapted to discharge a formed fastener upon retraction within said support, means for serially receiving and supporting the fasteners as formed thereby in a guided uniformly oriented manner, said means comprising an inclined receiving rail, the upper end thereof being fixedly engaged to said anvil support immediately below and closely adjacent said anvil and positioned thereat to extend with the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon formation thereof, and escapement means for segregating the fasteners on the receiving rail in groups of predetermined number and for permitting delivery therefrom to an endwise connected separable collecting rail in said group formation, said escapement means comprising a stop arm adapted to intermittently seat on said receiving rail to temporarily arrest further downward movement of fasteners thereon after passage of a predetermined number and spaced sets of clamping jaws adapted to alternately engage and support spaced lower end portions of the receiving rail and to alternatelyopen and permit bypass of the fasteners in said groups, and cam means including a continuously rotating cam shaft for successively actuating said stop arm and said clamping jaws in timed relationship to the fastener formation cycle of said machine,

8. The combination with a gravity rail adapted to serially receive and slidably support fasteners and the like devices having a substantially closed bend or eye of means for serially forming and introducing said articles thereto and escapement means for segregating the fasteners in groups of predetermined number on said rail and for permitting their delivery therefrom in such grouped formation comprising a stop arm adapted to intermittently arrest downward movement of fasteners after by-passage of group of predetermined number, spaced sets of clamping jaws adapted to successively and alternately embrace and support the rail adjacent the lower end portion thereof and to alternately open and permit successive bypass of grouped fastener formations, and means for successively actuating said stop arm and clamping jaws in timed relation to the serial introduction of said fasteners.

9. In a machine for bending predetermined lengths of wire over a horizontally reciprocating anvil to produce a hairpin or the like fastener having a pair of opposed legs and an integral connecting bend, said anvil being journaled in a mounting support and said fastener upon formation being discharged by the reciprocatory retraction of the anvil into said support, a downwardly inclined receiving rail for serially receiving, supporting and delivering the fasteners therefrom, the upper end of said rail being fixedly engaged to said anvil support immediately below and closely adjacent said anvil and positioned to extend within the confines of and adjacent to the connecting bend of a fastener upon formation thereof, and escapement support means for alternately engaging a lower portion of said receiving rail to provide a continuous support therefor and for permitting intermittent by-pass and delivery of said fasteners therefrom.

10. Means for handling hairpins and the like articles comprising a gravity rail adapted to serially receive andslidably support said articles, means for serially forming and introducing said articles thereto and escapement means in engagement with said rail for causing delivery of said fasteners in groups of predetermined number comprising a stop arm adapted to intermittently arrest downward movement of said articles after by-passage of a predetermined number, spaced sets of clamping jaw pairs adapted to alternately embrace and support the rail adjacent the lower end portion thereof and to alternately open and permit by-pass of said articles in group formation, cam means for actuating said stop arm and clamping jaw sets and drive means therefor in geared engagement with drive means for said article forming means and in timed relation to the serial introduction of said articles to the gravity rail.

FRANK D. REYNOLDS.

(References on following page) 1 1 REFERENCES CITED Name Date Almgren Apr. 17, 1934 Boedigheimer Nov. 16, 1943 Goldberg et a1 Apr. 23, 1929 Goldberg Jan. 6, 1920 Goldberg Aug. 1, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Sept, 22, 1926 

